Applicator



Sept. 11, 1956 H. A. EGGERT APPLICATOR Filed June 18, 1953 INVENTOR.HERBERT A. EGGERT BY ATT'YS United States PatentpD APPLICATOR Herbert A.Eggert, Oak Park, Ill.

Application June 18, 1953, Serial No. 362,624 2 Claims. (31. 15-13145This invention relates to improvements in applicators.

The main objects of this invention are to provide a new and improvedapplicator having a separable housing having a chamber into which aliquid, or fluid, or an adhesive is housed, and a roller fordistributing the fluid, etc. when in use; to provide an applicator ofthis general type wherein the roller is mounted almost entirely withinthe fluid chamber and having only a very small portion of thecircumferential surface thereof extending outwardly beyond the bottom ofthe housing and positioned directly in the mouth of the dischargeopening of the chamber to restrict the opening; to provide an applicatorof this general character wherein the inner surfaces of the housing endwalls are tapered inwardly from the top to the bottom to cause the fluidin the container to move downwardly by gravity tothe discharge openingand cause the circumferential surfaces of the roller to be asubstantially entirely covered thereby; to provide an applicator of thischaracter having a preformed channel or track incorporated in the bottomsurface of the housing and in cooperative relation with the exposedcircumferential portion of the roller, whereby to cause the depositionof the adhesive directly on the material on whichit is being applied, ofa predetermined-width and thicknessyto' provide an applicator of thisgeneral character which is separable for ready cleaning; and to providean applicator of this character which is very simple in construction andoperation and which has no working parts that can get out of order, andinexpensive to manufacture.

Specific embodiments of roller applicators are shown in the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the device of the present invention,shown being used on a piece of cloth to deposit the strip of adhesive.

Fig. 2 is an end plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the device of the presentinvention.

Fig. 5 is an exploded side plan view of a modified form of rollerapplicator,

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the roller and associatedparts of the device of Fig. 5.

As shown in the drawing, the device of the present invention ispreferably entirely constructed of a clear, plastic material andcomprises a pair of side walls 1 and 2, each containing an aperture 3and 4 into which the cylindrical bosses 5 and 6 of the substantiallysame diameter as the diameter of the apertures 34, are respectivelyarranged to frictionally seat.

When the side walls 1 and 2 are placed in abutting position, as shown inFig. 1, it will be seen that a chamber 7 is formed therebetween withdownwardly and inwardly diagonally extending end wall surfaces 8 and 9.The lower ends of the surfaces 8 and 9 terminate in a discharge openingor port 10.

A cylindrical roller 11 is provided with an axially extending bore 12adapted to be journaled on cooperating cylindrical bosses 13 and 14,which bosses 13 and 14 2,762,071 Patented Sept. 11, 1956 are of adiameter slightly less than the diameter of the bore 12 so that theroller is freely rotatable thereon. I

It is to be noted especially from Fig. 3 that the roller 11 is sopositioned in the housing that only a small area of the circumferentialsurface extends beyond the discharge opening 10. The roller 11 alsosubstantially blocks the discharge opening 10 so as to restrict theopening 10 and only a very small amount of adhesive will be able to flowbetween the circumferential surface of the roller and the discharge port10.

It is also to be noted from Fig. 2 that the thickness of the roller 11is only slightly smaller than the distance between the inner surfaces ofthe side walls 1 and 2, so that only a very minute amount of adhesive,if any, from the container will flow between the sides of the roller 11and the inner surfaces of the side walls 1 and 2.

It should now be apparent that the roller 11 lies directly in the pathof movement of the adhesive in the chamber 7 when the applicator is inuse,

Each bottom surface 15-46 of the side walls 1 and 2 respectivelycontains'a cut-away portion 17-18 so that when the side walls are inposition to form the housing a track or elongated channel recess 19 isformed in the bottom of the housing. The track 19 runs from the forwardedge of the outlet port 10 to the rear edge of the bottom surfaces15-46. A

The adhesive in the chamber 7 is of such viscosity that it will movedownwardly towards the discharge opening but will not, of its ownaccord, pass therethrough due to the almost complete closing of saiddischarge opening 10 by the roller 11. However, when the applicator isplaced on the material on which the adhesive is to be applied, as shownin Fig. 1, movement of the applicator in the direction of the arrow,will cause the roller to rotate in a clockwise direction. Thecircumferential surface of the roller being immersed in the adhesive inthe chamber 7, will deposit the adhesive on the material in a measuredquantity, due to the restricted amount thereof that can be discharged.

As the deposition of the adhesive is being effected only by movement ofthe applicator on contact with the surface on which it is being applied,the track 19 will cause the thickness of the adhesive so deposited to beconsistent with the depth of the channel 19. Also the side walls formingthe channel 19 will keep the adhesive from spreading laterally and causethe adhesive deposited to be of a definite width, namely the width ofthe channel 19. See Fig. 1. Excess adhesive will be retained on theroller face and returned to the interior of the housing, as will beapparent.

The adhesive is supplied to the chamber 7 by any convenient means, suchas by filling the same from a tube of adhesive to any desired depth orfullness.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the device consistsof an elongated hollow tube 29 having a cover 21, removably secured tothe upper end thereof- The lower end of the tube 20 is arranged toreceive the applicator 22.

In the modified construction, as in the preferred embodiment, theapplicator comprises a pair of separable identical members 23 and 24,the outer surface of which is tapered. The upper end of these members iscutaway as at '25 to form a stem 25'. Each of the members 23 and 24isprovided with inwardly extending cylindrical bosses 26 and 27respectively, each arranged to seat in cooperating apertures 28, so thatwhen the side members 23 and 24 are placed in abutting operativeposition, they will be frictionally held together by the bosses 26 and2'7 seated in the corresponding apertures 28, and take on the appearanceof a hollow cylinder since the applicator is formed with an axial bore20' therein.

The cylindrical roller 29 is held in position in the disj tively.

charge end of the applicator by cylindrical bosses 30 and 31, and as inthe preferred embodiment, the bosses 30 and 31 are of a diameterslightly less than the axial bore 32 of the roller 29, so that theroller is freely rotatable on said bores. It is to be noted from Fig. 5,that the roller 29 is positioned in the bore 20 in the same manner andrelationship to the discharge opening 33 as in the preferred embodiment.The bottom end-of bore 26 is cut away -'as at 34 to accommodate theroller 29. Theinside diameter of thetube 20 is only slightly greaterthan the diameter of stems 25' when in, abutting relationship to eachother, so as to frictionally retain the stems when inserted therein. Y ja It is to be noted that no track is provided in this modifiedconstruction, but that the adhesivec'ontained in the cylindrical housing20 flows downwardly by gravity against the circumferential surface ofthe roller 29, and as the applicator is moved,'the roller will rotatecausing a deposit of the adhesive on the material on which it is to.

be applied.

It is obvious that the roller 29 must be in contact with the material onwhich the adhesive is to be applied in order that the roller willrotate. A cap 35 is provided to enclose the applicator head sothat itwill always be ready for use. I

Should the adhesive dry on the rollers 11 or 29, it is obvious that theapplicator is very easily dismantled by merely separating the-side walls1--2 or 23-24 respec- This will expose the interior of the applicatorsand easy removal of the rollers 11 and 29 for ready clean ing andreassembly without the aid of any tools;'

Although but two specific embodiments of roller applicators have beenherein shown and described,it will be understood that numerous detailsmay be altered or omitted without departing'from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the following claims] I claim: 7 t

1. In a device of the class described, a longitudinally split two-piecehollow housing open at its upperend,

comprising a bottom surface, a pair of vertically extending side wallsand a pair of end walls, the inner surfaces of said end walls eachconverging downwardly and terminating in discharge opening, acylindrical roller positioned in said housing adjacent said dischargeopening and substantially blocking the same, said roller being journaledin said housing side walls and having a diameter greater 2. In a deviceof the class described, a pair of sub stantially identical preformedmembers each comprising a side wall, a bottom surface and laterallyextending end walls, the inner surfaces of said end walls eachconverging downwardly and terminating in spaced relation to each otherto form a channel opening, each of said members having friction means insaid end walls to removably position said members in face to facerelationship'to 'form a housing having an enclosed opening in the bottomthereof, a cylindrical roller substantially entirely within said housingand adjacent the enclosed opening and sub stantially blocking the same,said roller being journalled in said housing side walls and having adiameter greater than the length of the enclosed opening between theconverging inner surfaces of said end walls, whereby a relatively smallportion of the circumferential surface of said roller is exposed beyondsaid housing bottom surface at any time, said bottom surface of saidhousing extending from the lip of one of said converging inner end wallsurfaces at the enclosed opening and in the plane of said enclosedopening and a channel in said bottom surface of said housing extendingrearwardly from the opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS193,813 Gash Aug. 7, 1877 799,674 Rickman -a Sept.-19, 1905 Alexander aFeb. 19, 1935

